Gender (Masculine and Feminine)
Learning Objectives
- Understand what gender means in English grammar.
- Learn masculine gender nouns (words for males).
- Learn feminine gender nouns (words for females).
- Learn common gender nouns (words for both males and females).
- Learn neuter gender nouns (words for non-living things).
- Identify masculine-feminine pairs in Indian context (raja-rani, dada-dadi).
- Use gender nouns correctly in sentences.
Introduction
In our family, we have a father and a mother, a brother and a sister, a grandfather (dada) and a grandmother (dadi). Some words are used for males and some for females. In English grammar, this is called gender. Let us learn about the four types of gender and many masculine-feminine pairs!
What is Gender in Grammar?
Gender tells us whether a noun is male, female, both, or neither. In English, there are four types of gender:
| Gender Type | Meaning | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine Gender | Words for males (boys, men, male animals) | boy, king, father, lion |
| Feminine Gender | Words for females (girls, women, female animals) | girl, queen, mother, lioness |
| Common Gender | Words for both males and females | teacher, student, child, friend |
| Neuter Gender | Words for non-living things (no gender) | table, book, pen, school |
Masculine Gender (Male Nouns)
These words are used for males — boys, men, and male animals.
| People | Family | Animals |
|---|---|---|
| boy | father | lion |
| man | brother | cock (rooster) |
| king (raja) | uncle (mama/chacha) | bull |
| prince | grandfather (dada/nana) | horse |
| hero | nephew | peacock |
| actor | son | dog |
| sir | husband | tiger |
Feminine Gender (Female Nouns)
These words are used for females — girls, women, and female animals.
| People | Family | Animals |
|---|---|---|
| girl | mother | lioness |
| woman | sister | hen |
| queen (rani) | aunt (mami/chachi) | cow |
| princess | grandmother (dadi/nani) | mare |
| heroine | niece | peahen |
| actress | daughter | bitch |
| madam | wife | tigress |
Masculine-Feminine Pairs (Complete List)
Here is a big list of masculine-feminine pairs that you should learn:
| Masculine (Male) | Feminine (Female) | Masculine (Male) | Feminine (Female) |
|---|---|---|---|
| boy | girl | king (raja) | queen (rani) |
| man | woman | prince | princess |
| father | mother | hero | heroine |
| brother | sister | actor | actress |
| uncle | aunt | sir | madam |
| son | daughter | husband | wife |
| nephew | niece | bridegroom | bride |
| grandfather (dada) | grandmother (dadi) | god | goddess |
| lion | lioness | tiger | tigress |
| cock | hen | peacock | peahen |
| bull | cow | horse | mare |
| dog | bitch | fox | vixen |
Indian Family Gender Pairs
In Indian families, we use special words for different relatives. Here are some common pairs:
| Masculine (Male) | Feminine (Female) | Hindi/Indian Term |
|---|---|---|
| grandfather (paternal) | grandmother (paternal) | dada – dadi |
| grandfather (maternal) | grandmother (maternal) | nana – nani |
| uncle (mother's brother) | aunt (mother's brother's wife) | mama – mami |
| uncle (father's brother) | aunt (father's brother's wife) | chacha – chachi |
| king | queen | raja – rani |
Common Gender (Both Male and Female)
Common gender nouns can be used for both males and females. We cannot tell if the person is male or female just from the word.
| Common Gender Words | Can be... |
|---|---|
| teacher | male teacher or female teacher |
| student | boy student or girl student |
| child | boy child or girl child |
| friend | male friend or female friend |
| doctor | male doctor or female doctor |
| pilot | male pilot or female pilot |
| singer | male singer or female singer |
| baby | baby boy or baby girl |
| cousin | male cousin or female cousin |
| parent | father or mother |
Neuter Gender (Non-Living Things)
Neuter gender is used for things that are neither male nor female — non-living objects, places, and ideas.
Examples: table, chair, book, pen, school, house, car, river, mountain, computer, phone, bag, clock, door, window
Key Words
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Gender | A way to classify nouns as male, female, both, or neither |
| Masculine | Words for males (boy, father, king, lion) |
| Feminine | Words for females (girl, mother, queen, lioness) |
| Common Gender | Words that can be used for both males and females (teacher, child) |
| Neuter Gender | Words for non-living things that have no gender (table, book) |
| Pair | Two words that go together — one masculine and one feminine |
- Gender in grammar tells us if a noun is male, female, both, or neither.
- Masculine gender = male nouns: boy, man, king, father, brother, lion, cock.
- Feminine gender = female nouns: girl, woman, queen, mother, sister, lioness, hen.
- Common gender = can be male or female: teacher, student, child, doctor, friend.
- Neuter gender = non-living things: table, book, pen, school, house.
- Many masculine-feminine pairs exist: king–queen, lion–lioness, actor–actress.
- Indian pairs: dada–dadi, nana–nani, mama–mami, chacha–chachi, raja–rani.
- We use "he" for masculine, "she" for feminine, and "it" for neuter gender.
Finished learning? Now test what you know!